Wire-stretcher.



APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

. a Wih isscs H w 625% f y UNITED STATES Patented May 17, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WlRE-STRETCHEFL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.759,974, dated May 17, 1904.

Application filed June 18, 1903. Serial No. 162,130. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID S. DURALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hurdland, in the county of Knox and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Wire- Stretcher, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to wire-stretchers, and one of the objects to beaccomplished is to provide a stretcher which will eificiently stretchthe wire and maintain the same taut until the same has been stapled.

A further object of the invention is to maintain the wire in acontinuous plane while being secured.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cheap, durable, andeasily-operated device of the character described.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be describedhereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a plan view of the wire-stretcher applied. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the de Vice, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of thewire-clutch.

The numeral 1 designates a post to which a line-wire 2 is to be secured.

3 designates a lever, illustrated as a rackbar provided with terminalteeth or spurs 4i and 5, supported on the lever 3 by an arched frame 6.The frame 6 is deflected or curved from the lever to offset the teeth 4and 5 in a plane different from the plane of the lever, so that thelever can be supported by the post and at the same time present thewire-clutch in position to hold the end of the wire in the same planeofthe remaining portion of the wire.

The numeral 7 designatesa hook on the end of an arm 8, terminallysupported on the lever 3 and disposed at substantially right angles tosaid lever, said arm projecting from said lever at a point intermediatethe teeth.

Under certain conditions a removable'anehor-hook 9 is caused to engagethe side of the post opposite to that engaged by the teeth 4 and 5, andthis hook 9 is fastened to the hook 7 by a removable connection 10.

11 designates a plurality of teeth formed in one edge of the lever 3,which teeth are engaged by a pin 13, carried by the open side 14 of thewire-clutch 15, whereby the clutch will be free to move longitudinallyof the lever and swing laterally in a manner to be eX- plainedhereinafter.

The clutch 15 is illustrated as comprising parallel flanges 16 and 17which straddle the bar-lever 3, and these flanges are connected by aplate 18, having oppositely-projecting lips which constituteclutch-faces 20, against which the wire can be clamped by the pivotedcam-levers 21.

When it is desired to stretch the Wire, the lever 3 is swung around on aplane at right angles to the wire, and' said wire then clamped to thewire-clutch, which should previously be adjusted to the proper positionupon the bar or lever. The lever is then swung around until the propertension has been obtained, when the wire can be stapled to the posts. Ifit is desirable to hold the lever in its position for exerting a strainupon the wire, the anchor-hook 9 will be caused to engage the side ofthe post and the connection 10 will engage the hook 7, holding the leverin position until released.

It is also contemplated to use this device as a wiresplicingmachine, andto this end the connection 10 is provided with a clutch 22, which cangrasp one end of the wire while the other end is grasped by the clutch15, whereby the wire ends will be held until they can be twistedtogether. v i It will be observed that by using this stretcher theoperator is enabled to staple the wire to the post to which thestretcher is attached, thus saving time, material, and labor in theconstruction of the fence, and thereby materially reducing the cost ofits construction.

I claim- 1. A wire-stretcher comprising a notched lever, and awire-clutch consisting of two pargaging the Wire, and a transverse bar,carried by the flanges for engagement with notches in the lever.

- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 5,

my oWn I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWowitnesses.

DAVID S. DURALL.

Witnesses EMILY BUHL, ALPH. STRIOKLER.

